One Step at a Time
by BehindTheWords
Summary: Follow Ashley as she walks towards her new future. Who knew walking could be so hard? - One-shot-ish, at least for now.


**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters, however, I do own this story and I'd appreciate if you did not steal it and proclaim it as your own.

This is my very first fanfic, and I know there is a lot to improve in my writing, but I promise to get better! It is a rather silly story, but hopefully, my stories will get better as well. xD And also, seeing as English is not my first language, I'd appreciate if people pointed out my mistakes and/or would come with suggestions as to words or phrases I could use to vary my language. As for now, enjoy the story and review!

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I opened the door. My door. It was just the first step. Oh God, I was really going to do this, weren't I? I looked around, but to my relief the hallway was empty, abandoned, just like my mind was of rational thinking. Or maybe it was the fear I'd been surrounded by for so long, that was now easing its grip on me. I felt dizzy, surreal, but then again, more alive than I've ever felt before. It was time. I took a deep breath, and started walking.

Her room was just around the corner, and God knows how many times I've walked this route before. But I've never felt as sick as I do now.

_Her laugh was the sweetest thing I'd ever heard, I thought as I watched her play around with her brothers, squirming loudly as Glen lifted her up in the air and threw her in the water.__ Her eyes, matching the sparkling blue of the ocean, locked with mine, making my heart skip a beat. I couldn't any longer hear the shouts from people around me, nor could I feel the breeze on my still wet body, or the warmth from the sun, the scent of sunblock, or the taste of the strawberry still in my mouth. All I could sense was her, standing there, looking at me with those piercing blue eyes, motioning for me to come into the ocean, to her. I gulped down the last bit of my strawberry and smiled, shaking my head slightly and grabbing the book next to me, pretending to read while all I really did was hide from her gaze. The gaze that had me totally mesmerized from the first time we met years ago._

It felt like my legs weighed a ton as I made my way, closing the distance between us. She didn't even know I was coming. I didn't know myself, until a moment ago. So much for thinking it through, I thought sarcastically at what had been my excuse for so long. But I couldn't back off now. I had to do it, and I could only hope that she wouldn't completely freak out. I bit my lip nervously.

"_Ashley," she murmured softly, resting her head on my stomach while we were watching some silly movie. "Hmm?," I looked down at her, questioningly. "Nothing," she answered, blushing slightly. "I just felt like saying your name." I could feel my smile widen, and a pure feeling of happiness running through my veins at that moment. She returned my smile with one of her adorable ones, before she turned her gaze back to the movie. She didn't say my name any more times that night, as much as I'd hoped she would._

I could feel my heart beating like mad inside my chest, the thumping sound almost frightening me with its intensity. My eyes widened slightly as I realized that I'd reached my goal. This was her room, her door. I raised a hand, staring at it. It was shaking, just like my courage, threatening to crumble away before I could make a move.

"_Truth or Dare," Kyla's voice said demandingly as she looked at Aiden, already growing impatient. "Dare," he said and grinned, not really surprising anyone with his answer. Glen was the first to cut through the arising silence while everyone was thinking of something to dare him. "Why not make it simple this time?,"__ he said and winked at Aiden. I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach. Everyone knew that the two guys were best friends, just like everyone knew that Aiden had a thing for Spencer. "I dare you to kiss my sister for five minutes." He thought for a moment. "And you'd better do it good, she's my sister after all, and I can't have her getting some lousy kissing partner." He laughed and checked his watch, getting ready to count down. The anger I felt that night was perhaps the strongest I'd ever felt. How the hell could Glen do that to his own sister, not even thinking about taking into consideration her feelings? Was I the only one who'd realized Spencer turning stiff the very moment her brother suggested the dare? She didn't say anything though, and neither did I, although I quickly made up an excuse about getting something to drink the very moment Aiden leaned in and started his poor attempt of a kiss. I didn't return back before many hours later, and neither did the bottle of wine I'd picked up in my fury._

I shut my eyes for a brief moment before I quickly knocked on the door. I feared that if I waited any longer, I would lose all of my courage and never get back to where I was standing now, never being so close to tell her. Soft steps from inside the room were getting closer, and I suddenly felt very self conscious. Why the hell didn't I take on some nicer clothes, or comb my hair or… My thoughts were brought to a dead end as soon as she opened the door, giving me a confused look as I was caught with my hands busy fixing my hair. I let them fall down and blushed, staring at the floor, or rather… her feet. Before I could stop myself, I'd let my gaze wander up her tanned legs, only clad in a short, short shorts and over her stomach which was hidden behind the white tank top she was wearing. Finally, I lifted my head, looking at her angelic face framed in golden tresses that ran down her slender shoulders. I couldn't keep myself from staring at her lips, they looked so soft and kissable, before I finally locked eyes with her. There. She had me captivated now.

"Hey, Ash," she said and smiled, still with a confused look on her face. "Hey," I could barely whisper back, my throat suddenly feeling very dry. We stood there, watching each other for what seemed like ages, before she spoke up again. "Why don't you come in?" She motioned for me to come in and grabbed my hand, pulling me into her room and closing her door. The touch of her skin made me take a deep breath as I tried to regain my composure before she could tell something was wrong. Which she did, of course.

"_You love him, don't you?" She asked me, sitting at the bed with her head in her hands, watching me as I walked around, rage building __up inside of me. "Who?" I snapped, and instantly regretted, but she didn't seem to mind. "Your dad, of course." I stopped dead in my tracks. "What makes you think so?" I asked bitterly and made a grimace. "Well," she smiled softly, "first of all because you always wear that bracelet he gave you when you were a kid, no matter how angry he might make you, and secondly, because of your reactions. It shows that you care, even though you try not to show it."_

"What's the matter?" She asked me, standing next to me and watching me carefully. "I…" I trailed off, not being able to finish my sentence. "Ash," she whispered and touched my cheek, making eye contact with me once again, begging me to tell her whatever it was that troubled me. I think that's when I lost it, the moment when she said my name, no… whispered. It was barely loud enough for me to hear, even though I was standing right next to her. "Please forgive me," I whispered back as I lifted my hand to her face, pulling us closer as I finally kissed those irresistible lips I'd been dreaming about for so long.

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Well, that's it for now. I know the ending is very vague, but I decided to let it be like that for now. If I get enough positive feedback I might write some more though, so there's still a chance you'll get to know more. Reviews please!


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